Lamb, Annette. "Everyone Does It: Teaching Ethical Use of Social Technology." Knowledge Quest, 39:1 (2010), 62-67.
The author discusses common issues that arise from teens using technology and what good digital citizenship means. Responsible use of technology is framed within the context of moral and behavioral development. AASL Standards that relate to technology use are cited and strategies for teaching ethical technology use are described.
Harris, Frances Jacobson. "Teens and Privacy: Myths and Realities." Knowledge Quest, 39:1 (2010), 74-79.
The article provides an overview of the current debate about teens and privacy concerns. In particular, the author discusses the facts about internet privacy as it relates to online predators, cyberbullying, and social networks. The article concludes with advice on how to ensure a safe online environment for teens.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Week 12: Intellectual Freedom, Part I (Coatney)
To me, intellectual freedom is one of the more interesting topics in librarianship, whether it is in school, public, or academic libraries. Undoubtedly, library patrons have rights, but what if these conflict with the rights of others?
The Coatney reading discusses how school librarians should handle issues of intellectual freedom as they arise. How do librarians develop a collection and library policies that accommodate all users as fairly as possible? For a school library to be most effective, it should reflect the needs and interests of its users. But what if its users are interested in material that is not age- or content-appropriate? Compared to public librarians serving the same age demographic, school librarians would certainly need to be more guarded in allowing access to certain materials. Related to what Coatney discusses, I think it is also crucial that school librarians maintain effective relationships within their school community. Not only will this help in building a representative library collection, but it can provide the librarian with support over issues of intellectual freedom.
The Coatney reading discusses how school librarians should handle issues of intellectual freedom as they arise. How do librarians develop a collection and library policies that accommodate all users as fairly as possible? For a school library to be most effective, it should reflect the needs and interests of its users. But what if its users are interested in material that is not age- or content-appropriate? Compared to public librarians serving the same age demographic, school librarians would certainly need to be more guarded in allowing access to certain materials. Related to what Coatney discusses, I think it is also crucial that school librarians maintain effective relationships within their school community. Not only will this help in building a representative library collection, but it can provide the librarian with support over issues of intellectual freedom.
Week 11: Field Trip #3 & PD
During our visit to Burns Park this week, we observed a short lesson with second and third graders who were using Comic Life to create short comics. Considering that this was our third field trip, it has been interesting to observe the differences (and similarities) between the school libraries we have visited. Each definitely has a unique atmosphere to it, and they all seem like interesting learning environments in their own way.
Working with the students on their project, it is interesting to see how they interact with technology at that age group. While they seem comfortable with using computers, they don't seem to fully grasp how to appropriately make use of the technology all the time. That said, I think this is how librarians fit in. While kids are certainly capable of interacting with different types of software and adapting to new computer hardware, they can't be experts in using these to their advantage.
After the lesson, we discussed last week's MAME conference and how professional development relates. While I think PD is key for librarians trying to stay current, it seems that the importance of it is not necessarily seen by all school administrators or librarians. Especially in schools that are understaffed (librarians serving multiple schools, reduced hours, etc.), librarians may not have the opportunity to participate in PD efforts, whether it is going to conferences or conducting staff training for their own building.
Working with the students on their project, it is interesting to see how they interact with technology at that age group. While they seem comfortable with using computers, they don't seem to fully grasp how to appropriately make use of the technology all the time. That said, I think this is how librarians fit in. While kids are certainly capable of interacting with different types of software and adapting to new computer hardware, they can't be experts in using these to their advantage.
After the lesson, we discussed last week's MAME conference and how professional development relates. While I think PD is key for librarians trying to stay current, it seems that the importance of it is not necessarily seen by all school administrators or librarians. Especially in schools that are understaffed (librarians serving multiple schools, reduced hours, etc.), librarians may not have the opportunity to participate in PD efforts, whether it is going to conferences or conducting staff training for their own building.
Week 10: Reflections on MAME
(Whoops! Sorry, meant to post this last week...)
This past Saturday our 638 class helped host the MAME (Michigan Association for Media in Education) conference. The conference had three main presenters, Barry Fishman, Liz Kolb, & Jill & Meggan. While all of the presentations were unique and informative, they all spoke to the idea of using technology to engage students in the learning process.
Professor Fishman presented on his area of research, video games and learning. I've heard a lot of positive comments about his class on the subject, and I was excited for the chance to hear him speak about the topic, albeit in a condensed format. What really struck me was how relevant and well thought-out his presentation was; it seemed clear that there was a lot of solid information for educators. I also appreciated how logical and well-organized Professor Fishman's presentation was--for every recommendation he made, he had some explanation or finding to back it up, especially when he was speaking about "why are games attractive?" His points about motivation were also interesting--if everyone is motivated all the time, how can people be motivated to pursue meaningful work?
Then it was time for Meggan and Jill to present their SCVNGR activity. Overall, I really appreciated the timing and organization of their presentation--after hearing some background on what SCVNGR is, we were able to head to Shapiro to check it out in action. Aside from a few quirky technical glitches (the first iPad doesn't have a camera, so no pictures of the reference desk!), it was fun to complete the individual challenges. I also thought Meggan and Jill did a good job with explaining potential ways of using the application in the classroom.
Finally, Liz Kolb gave a talk (with a lot of interactive activities) on using cell phones for teaching and learning. While I thought her presentation was terrific both in style and content, there was a lot to take in! That said, I think she realizes the information overload, which is why she has more information on all the resources in the slideshow, which can be viewed online at one's convenience. One of the most interesting aspects of using cell phones (as well as other types of technology) in the classroom is the ability to engage students who otherwise might not participate. In this way, I certainly view cell phones as a positive tool for teaching, but I think teachers should be cautious about over-reliance on technology. If it is used as a crutch, then students may miss out on learning actual content for the sake of using fancy new technology. Taken together, the three presentations worked really well as a unit on using technology for its powers of collaboration and creativity in the classroom.
This past Saturday our 638 class helped host the MAME (Michigan Association for Media in Education) conference. The conference had three main presenters, Barry Fishman, Liz Kolb, & Jill & Meggan. While all of the presentations were unique and informative, they all spoke to the idea of using technology to engage students in the learning process.
Professor Fishman presented on his area of research, video games and learning. I've heard a lot of positive comments about his class on the subject, and I was excited for the chance to hear him speak about the topic, albeit in a condensed format. What really struck me was how relevant and well thought-out his presentation was; it seemed clear that there was a lot of solid information for educators. I also appreciated how logical and well-organized Professor Fishman's presentation was--for every recommendation he made, he had some explanation or finding to back it up, especially when he was speaking about "why are games attractive?" His points about motivation were also interesting--if everyone is motivated all the time, how can people be motivated to pursue meaningful work?
Then it was time for Meggan and Jill to present their SCVNGR activity. Overall, I really appreciated the timing and organization of their presentation--after hearing some background on what SCVNGR is, we were able to head to Shapiro to check it out in action. Aside from a few quirky technical glitches (the first iPad doesn't have a camera, so no pictures of the reference desk!), it was fun to complete the individual challenges. I also thought Meggan and Jill did a good job with explaining potential ways of using the application in the classroom.
Finally, Liz Kolb gave a talk (with a lot of interactive activities) on using cell phones for teaching and learning. While I thought her presentation was terrific both in style and content, there was a lot to take in! That said, I think she realizes the information overload, which is why she has more information on all the resources in the slideshow, which can be viewed online at one's convenience. One of the most interesting aspects of using cell phones (as well as other types of technology) in the classroom is the ability to engage students who otherwise might not participate. In this way, I certainly view cell phones as a positive tool for teaching, but I think teachers should be cautious about over-reliance on technology. If it is used as a crutch, then students may miss out on learning actual content for the sake of using fancy new technology. Taken together, the three presentations worked really well as a unit on using technology for its powers of collaboration and creativity in the classroom.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Week 10: Focus on Staff Development
How can school librarians help their fellow educators become better educators? There are a lot of interesting ideas for just this in the readings. One idea is that of a "lesson study," where teachers dedicate an entire day to essentially studying their lesson plans. Once the lesson is developed, it is taught, observed, analyzed and revised. To aid in this process, librarians are there to assist teachers in designing meaningful lesson plans that incorporate inquiry-based methods.
Thinking more about the readings, I liked the idea of librarians as being catalysts for professional development within their schools, as was evidenced in the Bilyeu article. Generally, it seems like a good idea to involve multiple individuals in discussions about how to improve the learning process. Everyone will have different ideas for what makes a good lesson vs. a bad lesson, and hopefully the most useful and impactful ideas will emerge as a result. Different educators within a school will have different strengths and weaknesses, and it's important to engage with multiple perspectives to determine best practices.
Finally, professional development has exciting implications for student learning as well. The more engaged and up-to-date librarians and teachers are with technology and educational standards, the more opportunities for learning there are. In teaching professional development goals to others, educators may also become better instructors and become more proficient with using technology to teach, which may serve them well in the classroom with their students. All in all, I think the collaborative approach to staff development as outlined in the readings offers some good ideas for getting teachers and librarians excited about improving their lesson plans and coming up with creative ideas for working with students.
Thinking more about the readings, I liked the idea of librarians as being catalysts for professional development within their schools, as was evidenced in the Bilyeu article. Generally, it seems like a good idea to involve multiple individuals in discussions about how to improve the learning process. Everyone will have different ideas for what makes a good lesson vs. a bad lesson, and hopefully the most useful and impactful ideas will emerge as a result. Different educators within a school will have different strengths and weaknesses, and it's important to engage with multiple perspectives to determine best practices.
Finally, professional development has exciting implications for student learning as well. The more engaged and up-to-date librarians and teachers are with technology and educational standards, the more opportunities for learning there are. In teaching professional development goals to others, educators may also become better instructors and become more proficient with using technology to teach, which may serve them well in the classroom with their students. All in all, I think the collaborative approach to staff development as outlined in the readings offers some good ideas for getting teachers and librarians excited about improving their lesson plans and coming up with creative ideas for working with students.
Class 9: Technology
In our last installment of 638, it was all about technology. Fittingly, we met in the Brandon Center at the School of Education. The space has a very tech-friendly, collaborative feel about it, and its layout and technology options (interactive whiteboards, etc.) offered a conducive environment for thinking about technology in school libraries.
It was interesting to hear about new ideas for using technology in the classroom, and I appreciated the discussion around how it is sometimes used as a sort of crutch in lesson plans. This was exemplified in the Glogster examples shown in class. The first example, especially, seemed like a weak attempt at integrating web 2.0 tools with meaningful educational content. Even the juxtaposition of the formatting and the content itself seemed off. The graphics looked fun and contemporary, but the cultural references from the book are a bit more serious. Of course, learning to use Glogster and other technology tools is important for students, but it is equally important that students understand that the "showy-ness" of these tools doesn't replace the need for real, inquiry-based learning and synthesis. As a last point about technology, I especially enjoyed the ideas for including the Raspberry Pi in classrooms for learning. If I were a student, I would be excited about the opportunity to learn more about how computers works and how to program--actually, I am still excited about this, even now! This could be a great device for under-resourced schools to bolster their technology programs, e.g. rural schools with limited computing tools and lack of professional technology support.
Finally, we discussed some of the logistics for the MAME conference, which is coming up in a few days. I am excited to hear from the presenters, especially Jill & Meggan's SCVNGR talk/activity, which I am pretty unfamiliar with at this point.
It was interesting to hear about new ideas for using technology in the classroom, and I appreciated the discussion around how it is sometimes used as a sort of crutch in lesson plans. This was exemplified in the Glogster examples shown in class. The first example, especially, seemed like a weak attempt at integrating web 2.0 tools with meaningful educational content. Even the juxtaposition of the formatting and the content itself seemed off. The graphics looked fun and contemporary, but the cultural references from the book are a bit more serious. Of course, learning to use Glogster and other technology tools is important for students, but it is equally important that students understand that the "showy-ness" of these tools doesn't replace the need for real, inquiry-based learning and synthesis. As a last point about technology, I especially enjoyed the ideas for including the Raspberry Pi in classrooms for learning. If I were a student, I would be excited about the opportunity to learn more about how computers works and how to program--actually, I am still excited about this, even now! This could be a great device for under-resourced schools to bolster their technology programs, e.g. rural schools with limited computing tools and lack of professional technology support.
Finally, we discussed some of the logistics for the MAME conference, which is coming up in a few days. I am excited to hear from the presenters, especially Jill & Meggan's SCVNGR talk/activity, which I am pretty unfamiliar with at this point.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Week 9: Technology in the Library
Technology is one of the pivotal areas where librarians can create positive learning outcomes for students. I think it's also one area where librarians can distinguish themselves from teachers and provide opportunities for collaboration at the same time--that is, when school librarians are up-to-date on what is happening in the tech world, they become a valuable resource within their school. To this end, the Free Technology for Teachers blog (freetech4teachers.com) can be a great starting point for librarians. While the constant evolution of apps and tech tools may be overwhelming, Free Tech provides an easy way of understanding what is most relevant to educators and how these tools can be best used in the classroom or library.
Meanwhile, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provides a set of standards for integrating technology into learning, known as NETS (National Educational Technology Standards). What is good about these standards is that there appear to be a lot of overlap between them and the other standards we have discussed in class--collaboration, digital citizenship, information literacy, etc. This is explored more in "How do School Librarians Fit In?" The synthesis of these standards offers a host of ideas on how to encourage better learning through technology.
In "Pride and Prejudice and Technology Leadership," I liked the point about a lack of hierarchy in terms of technology--other subjects like math and science seem much more delineated in terms of instruction. I think one of the greatest challenges to school librarians is recognizing that while youngsters may be more knowledgeable about the latest internet trends and gadgets, they are by no means "experts" in using technology in meaningful ways. I also appreciate how keeping up with technology can be tied to professional development--as advancements are constantly being made in both technology and pedagogy, it is reasonable to expect school librarians to stay current. And these new technology platforms can be used to deliver professional development solutions. Not only should effective use of technology be encouraged in student learning, but librarians should actively seek out ways of using technology to make their services better--whether it's outreach to parents or collaborating with other educators.
Meanwhile, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provides a set of standards for integrating technology into learning, known as NETS (National Educational Technology Standards). What is good about these standards is that there appear to be a lot of overlap between them and the other standards we have discussed in class--collaboration, digital citizenship, information literacy, etc. This is explored more in "How do School Librarians Fit In?" The synthesis of these standards offers a host of ideas on how to encourage better learning through technology.
In "Pride and Prejudice and Technology Leadership," I liked the point about a lack of hierarchy in terms of technology--other subjects like math and science seem much more delineated in terms of instruction. I think one of the greatest challenges to school librarians is recognizing that while youngsters may be more knowledgeable about the latest internet trends and gadgets, they are by no means "experts" in using technology in meaningful ways. I also appreciate how keeping up with technology can be tied to professional development--as advancements are constantly being made in both technology and pedagogy, it is reasonable to expect school librarians to stay current. And these new technology platforms can be used to deliver professional development solutions. Not only should effective use of technology be encouraged in student learning, but librarians should actively seek out ways of using technology to make their services better--whether it's outreach to parents or collaborating with other educators.
Week 9: Elevator Speech
Elevator Speech for School Librarians
Teacher: Hello, there!
Librarian: Hi! How are you?
Teacher: Okay, I'm just getting frustrated from the quality of my students' work these days. I'd be much better if my students understood that cutting and pasting from the internet isn't appropriate for research papers.
Librarian: Oh no! You know, I'd be happy to have them come to the library to learn more about how to do effective online searches and evaluate internet resources.
Teacher: Really? I get so many papers that are just regurgitated Wikipedia articles. [sighs]
Librarian: There is a lot of less-than-stellar information out there, and it can be difficult for students to make choices about what materials is appropriate for research papers and other school projects. Moreover, when students only look up the facts on Wikipedia, they are missing out on opportunities for more substantial learning that is based in inquiry.
Teacher: Hmm. Well, I am looking for some new lesson plans.
Librarian: Great! If you would like, I would love to get together with you and we could develop some plans together for how students can become better users of online content. We can also develop a lesson plan series to address how to be good digital citizens--no plagiarism, no cyber-bullying, online privacy--all of it! We can tackle how students can become producers of digital content so that they understand better how resources like Wikipedia and blogs are created in the first place.
Teacher: Sounds good! I'll check my schedule and get back to you.
Inspired by: "New Literacies and Librarians" (Howard Rheingold) School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come ( http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705).
Teacher: Hello, there!
Librarian: Hi! How are you?
Teacher: Okay, I'm just getting frustrated from the quality of my students' work these days. I'd be much better if my students understood that cutting and pasting from the internet isn't appropriate for research papers.
Librarian: Oh no! You know, I'd be happy to have them come to the library to learn more about how to do effective online searches and evaluate internet resources.
Teacher: Really? I get so many papers that are just regurgitated Wikipedia articles. [sighs]
Librarian: There is a lot of less-than-stellar information out there, and it can be difficult for students to make choices about what materials is appropriate for research papers and other school projects. Moreover, when students only look up the facts on Wikipedia, they are missing out on opportunities for more substantial learning that is based in inquiry.
Teacher: Hmm. Well, I am looking for some new lesson plans.
Librarian: Great! If you would like, I would love to get together with you and we could develop some plans together for how students can become better users of online content. We can also develop a lesson plan series to address how to be good digital citizens--no plagiarism, no cyber-bullying, online privacy--all of it! We can tackle how students can become producers of digital content so that they understand better how resources like Wikipedia and blogs are created in the first place.
Teacher: Sounds good! I'll check my schedule and get back to you.
Inspired by: "New Literacies and Librarians" (Howard Rheingold) School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come ( http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96705).
Class 8: Planning Library Spaces & Advocacy
In our last class before break, we were able to have Peg Sullivan (a consultant for planning library spaces) join us via the internet for a talk about school library design. During her talk, she discussed the A.E.I.O.U method (Activities, Environment, Interactions, Objects and Users). I liked her point about how physical spaces send signals about what types of learning takes place in them. Related to this, one of her most interesting tips was to think about "logical adjacencies"--what do you want the public to see? Displaying collaborative and creative activities near the entrance/windows to the library is a great way to showcase what the library does. This can also be a form of advocacy. Another advantage to having great things happening in very public spaces is that it may drawn in some reluctant library users.
Peg also recommended privileging function over form--after all, you need to understand what will be happening in the library before you start designing it. Finally, designing for different personality types (introvert/extrovert) was also discussed. While I thought this was an interesting topic, I'm not sure I understood exactly how it to implement different design ideas based on personality type--in terms of actual color choices, furniture options, library features, and use of physical space. It would be necessary to incorporate diverse elements to accommodate different types of students and library users.
Back to the advocacy issue, the idea of the librarian as a martyr was brought up. It's difficult to appreciate what a school librarian does because, as was pointed our in class, it's more quality than quantity, in terms of results. Many public service professions seem to suffer from this, yet so many of these jobs provide a great service (!) to the community. Ultimately, I still think librarians shouldn't have to necessarily "advocate" themselves and their profession. Instead, I think it's important to strive to meet standards and provide meaningful services to your community, and then let the community speak for itself.
Class members also talked about their library redesigns and what they would add/remove from the physical school library space. A lot of good points and creative solutions were brought up, and I definitely would change a few elements of my library plan knowing what I do now!
Peg also recommended privileging function over form--after all, you need to understand what will be happening in the library before you start designing it. Finally, designing for different personality types (introvert/extrovert) was also discussed. While I thought this was an interesting topic, I'm not sure I understood exactly how it to implement different design ideas based on personality type--in terms of actual color choices, furniture options, library features, and use of physical space. It would be necessary to incorporate diverse elements to accommodate different types of students and library users.
Back to the advocacy issue, the idea of the librarian as a martyr was brought up. It's difficult to appreciate what a school librarian does because, as was pointed our in class, it's more quality than quantity, in terms of results. Many public service professions seem to suffer from this, yet so many of these jobs provide a great service (!) to the community. Ultimately, I still think librarians shouldn't have to necessarily "advocate" themselves and their profession. Instead, I think it's important to strive to meet standards and provide meaningful services to your community, and then let the community speak for itself.
Class members also talked about their library redesigns and what they would add/remove from the physical school library space. A lot of good points and creative solutions were brought up, and I definitely would change a few elements of my library plan knowing what I do now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)